


Grab your backpack and take my hand

by hopelessly_me



Category: Marvel
Genre: Clint Barton and his history with taking vacations, Clint and Kate's friendship is goals, Fluff, M/M, Sassy Kate, Soft Boys, Steve is a clothes thief, doubtful Clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29740407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: Clint had zero doubts that his boyfriend was going to show up to the airport despite Steve saying he wouldn’t go backpacking in Europe for two months. But with all of his friends expressing doubt and Steve’s absence, Clint was starting to think that maybe Steve was being serious….
Relationships: Clint Barton/Steve Rogers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41
Collections: Reverse Prompt Challenge





	Grab your backpack and take my hand

“So let me get this straight,” Kate said, laying on Clint’s bed, her head over the edge so she could watch him. She had a lollipop in her hand, waving it around as she spoke. Clint gave her a questioning look before he turned away. “You are going to Europe for two months.”

“Yep,” Clint answered without looking at her, his head tilted off to the side as he looked at the stack of clothing he had and his backpack.

“And Steve is going despite saying he isn’t going.”

“Exactly. Hence why you are in charge of my dog.”

Kate was quiet as Clint started to roll his clothing, stacking it in neatly. If nothing else, being a SHIELD agent taught him how to efficiently pack for the long haul while keeping it light for these cases.

“Clint, if you die, can I have your things?”

“I have a list made of who gets what,” Clint answered dismissively, mumbling to himself. Always with the socks. Did he pack enough? Was he going to have some major regrets? And his boots….

“Okay but if Steve doesn’t go-“

“Steve is going,” Clint sang. He was mildly annoyed by all the questions but he was trying to stay calm. Kate wasn’t the first one to question him. Natasha had already gotten to him, as had Tony, and Sam, and Bucky, and-

“Do I at least get Lucky if you die?”

Clint sighed and hung his head, rubbing the back of his head. “Why does everyone think I’m going to die? It’s vacation.”

“It’s you,” Kate answered in a flat tone.

“Yeah, okay… fair.” Clint shoved more socks into his bag and looked around before he marched around. Hearing aid charger- check. Spare pair- triple check, he wasn’t  _ that _ stupid. Personal care items. “... toothbrush.” Clint matched to his bathroom and grabbed it, waving it in the air before he packed it.

Clint didn’t want to admit that he was nervous that Steve was serious, that he wouldn’t come along. Clint knew he was pushing it a little with this vacation- no planned itinerary, no planned places to sleep on which dates. It was the same type of vacation Clint took before he was recruited by SHIELD. He had hoped Steve would be excited for it but instead he got to hear about how that was “irresponsible” and- Clint didn’t really pay attention past that.

Either way, he was going on this vacation. He had told Steve he was going regardless of how he felt about it, and if he wanted to come then come. It was probably the exact wrong thing to say to the person you were dating, Steve scowling at him and crossing his arms, but Clint had his heels dug in. This was happening- he just hoped Steve would join him.

“If you and Steve break up, I want him to take me in the custody battle,” Kate said.

“Why are we friends again?” Clint asked.

“Lucky.”

“Right. Move.” Kate grumbled but she moved, giving Clint room to lay down next to her. “We aren’t going to break up over this.” He didn’t mean for it to come across as if he were asking her but he caught the tone. Kate gave him a pointed look. “I hate that you and Natasha are friends.” That look turned into a smile. “Steve and I will be fine. He’ll show up, grumble about how irresponsible the idea is, and he’s going to end up loving it.”

“And if not?” Kate asked.

“He knew what he was getting into when it came to dating me,” Clint answered. He looked at his watch. “I gotta head to the airport. Send me daily updates on my dog?”

“You got it, Hawkeye,” Kate said with a two finger salute before they both got up. “I also want that dumb painting in the living room if you die.”

“That’s not on the list so steal it,” Clint said, waving her off before he grabbed his bag. “I’m not going to die though. Just a vacation.”

“See you in a week,” Kate called after him.

Clint took the longest time to say goodbye to Lucky. He was coming back but still- it was always his fear that he would leave whole and never come back. So he gave him kisses and belly rubs and ear scratches and probably too many treats. He wanted to make sure that if something  _ did _ happen that Lucky would know how much he was loved.

Once outside and away from the questions, Clint started to feel lighter and better. He hopped the subway, took the easiest route to the airport he could. The nerves of Steve not coming we’re slowly melting away with the prospect of his adventure. Steve would either come or he wouldn’t. And in the end Steve would either stay with him or he won’t. Clint couldn’t live his life based around Steve, and he didn’t want Steve to base his life around him. They hadn’t been dating that long to warrant that kind of expectation. Two years was a blink in time really.

Still, Clint couldn’t help but be a little disappointed when, an hour until their flight, Steve was nowhere to be found. Clint sank in his seat and pulled his phone out, opening a file of pictures he liked to scroll through when he was feeling down. Most of them were dog photos, but there were a few of him and Natasha, with Steve, Tony, Kate- everyone. Clint smiled as he scrolled through his favorite photos, but the ache was still there.

“Really Clint.” Clint felt his lips turn up without his approval as his eyes saw a bag hit the ground, black and nondescript. Clint looked up at Steve as he set his second bag down much more carefully, crouching down to get his phone and headphones out. 

It wasn’t often that Steve dressed down this far. More times than not, Clint got to watch Steve parade around in his uniform or in something more business casual. He would come home from runs in shorts and a tank top, sure, but those moments were short lived. Today, however, Steve had shown up in a pair of Clint’s old sweats, grey and starting to wear a little thin, and was wearing a solid black hoodie and Clint’s-

“Did you seriously steal my Hawkeye ballcap?” Clint asked. “You lose it and you are dead to me. It took me  _ years _ to find one. It’s basically my most prized possession. Aside from Lucky.”

Steve rolled his eyes and sat down next to Clint, throwing an arm around his shoulders and squeezing his upper arm once before his fingers brushed against his sleeve. Clint half expected Steve to look upset, give him the speech about being responsible- he was pretty much immune to the disappointed dad look, something Steve actually hated.  _ If looks could kill _ kind of lost all meaning when you were best friends with two scary Russian assassins who could murder strut you to your grave. 

“Budapest first? You’re a tease.”

No, Steve looked happy, relaxed even. His eyes mostly stayed on Clint instead of scanning their surroundings. Clint hadn’t liked the beard at first, but now that it was grown in and not patchy, Clint could appreciate it more, especially when Steve had that wide smile on his face, the way his eyes lit up with excitement.

“Maybe I thought it was time you learned about Budapest,” Clint answered before he kissed Steve’s cheek. “You came.”

“Yeah, well, someone has to make sure you don’t stumble on a Hydra base and try to take it down solo.”

“I only did that once and we agreed we’d never talk about it.”

Steve’s face only brightened more, his eyes sparkling in a playful spirit. “No. You said we were never talking about it again. I said it’s one of my favorite bargaining tools.” Steve ran his hand down Clint’s arm. “I’m still not sure I like this idea of yours but I’m willing to try it if it makes you happy.”

Clint smiled and looked down at his shoes. He could think of a dozen or so things that could and would make him happy but none of those things made him happier than knowing Steve was coming along. He leaned over until his shoulder was against Steve.

“Really though. Budapest?” Steve asked.

“Maybe I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to tell you about it. And I thought… showing you might be better,” Clint answered. “I  _ do _ have some sort of a plan, Steve. It’s loose, but there’s something there.”

“I’m sure you do,” Steve agreed lightly. “I can’t believe we are doing this with only backpacks. This is reckless.”

“You do reckless all the time,” Clint pointed out. “This is probably the safest reckless thing you have ever done.”

Everything was quiet for a moment. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I can think of something else reckless I have done that’s been a safe bet.” Clint frowned a little before he looked up at Steve. Steve smiled some and Clint felt his face heating up. “Got’cha.”

“I take it back. Go home. Two months with just you is going to be terrible,” Clint said before he leaned in for a kiss. Steve wouldn’t stop smiling his way through it. “It wasn’t that smooth,” Clint muttered, punching Steve’s arm as he collapsed back down in his seat.

“I dunno, Barton. It was pretty smooth,” Steve replied. The overhead came on and Steve got up, grabbing his bags as he did so. “Guess this is us. Thank you for not making us sit coach.”

“Are you kidding? With our length and build? Screw that,” Clint laughed, grabbing his bag before he walked alongside Steve. “I spent a lot of years having my knees to my chest. I can definitely use some years of sprawling.” Before they reached the front desk Clint grabbed Steve and pulled him to the side while the others in first class were checking in. “Seriously… thank you?” he said. “I was starting to doubt you’d actually come.”

“I was too. Then someone told me how sure you were that I’d come and… I couldn’t really disappoint you, could I?” Steve asked. “Whatever crazy adventure you have planned? I’m ready for it.”

Clint nodded and yet he still couldn’t get himself to move. “It’s two months,” he reminded. “It's a long time to be-”

“It’s going to be fine,” Steve interrupted. One side of Clint’s mouth pulled up in a faked grin. “I think we could both use the vacation. Anyway- I don’t think I have ever been overseas without it being for a mission. So this should be fun, right?” Steve asked, his smile suring up, making Clint’s as well. “Also, how the hell did you score two months worth of vacation vacation?”

There was an accusation in that tone, Clint felt his cheeks heat up. “So uh- I might have been caught… using my vacation time whenever I went places with you and Tony… as a bodyguard.”

“Clint!”

“Steve!”

Steve huffed out a laugh and shifted his bags on his shoulder. “I should have known. Guess from now on I’ll have to double check your vacation time for them. How long did you manage to pull this stunt off for?”

“Almost three years,” Clint said, coming off as if he were bragging.

“You’re an absolute menace,” Steve laughed, handing over his passport, placed under the name of Grant Stevens, and smiled at the lady at the desk as she scanned them in. “Regardless, I’m glad we get to do this together.”

Clint smiled and handed his over as well, letting it be scanned in. “Yeah… I am too,” he replied. “Alright. Budapest awaits!”

Clint and Steve made their way onto the plane, doing their best to blend in. If nothing else, at least the staff were alerted they would be on so that part at least wasn’t awkward. They put their bags away quickly and sat down, getting comfortable. Clint took the aisle, giving Steve a little bit more coverage in case someone noticed him.

It wasn’t until they were in the air and the main lights were turned off that the two got cozy, sharing a blanket Clint had looped in with his backpack. He had taken his hearing aids out before the flight had even started and was now letting Steve use headphones while Clint watched the closed captions to some historical documentary. 

A flight attendant came up and Clint tapped Steve to get his attention. Steve smiled as he pulled the headphones off before he looked at Clint.  _ Drink and food _ he signed, taking it slow. Clint held a finger up to the flight attendant and turned his phone onto the notes, looking at the menu before ordering through his phone. He settled back against Steve once the attendant was gone, but before he could turn the phone back on Steve’s hand covered it.

_ Teach me _ Steve signed.  _ We have time _ .

Clint nodded and shoved his phone away. It wasn’t often they had a lot of free time like this, and Steve wanted to learn how to communicate with Clint via ASL. It was a slow process really, not because Steve couldn’t pick it up, Steve was pretty good at it, but because they would have to go back so much to cover previous lessons to keep him up to speed on everything. Clint didn’t care, as long as Steve knew how to fingerspell, Clint could figure it out. A large part of him was happy about having to teach Steve ASL; the fact that someone loved him  _ and _ wanted to learn left Clint feeling taken aback while he wanted to explode from the love he felt.

They carried on for almost two hours, going over terms that would be the most helpful. Clint would reach out, move Steve’s hand, correct it’s position before he would repeat it slowly until Steve would get it right, which always came with a mini-celebration. Steve rolled his eyes and knocked Clint’s hands down and kissed the smirk off Clint’s face each time. This carried on until their food was served. Normally Clint refused to eat on a flight- he was normally a bundle of nerves, excited and anxious for what mission he was going to be on. This flight though- this was for vacation and his nerves had disappeared the moment Steve had shown up.

After their meal they cozied up again, tucked under the blanket, heads knocked together. Clint was thankful that Steve had come out a few years back, and even more thankful that he had made a post about their relationship status two months back because it made everything easier. Sure, there were people that weren’t happy, but there were more people who either didn’t care or thought it was sweet. Better than that- it made it so Steve could finally relax in public when they were together, and Clint could too.

Before Clint closed his eyes he saw Steve sign something slow, but on purpose this time, not because he was unsure.  _ I love you.  _ Clint smiled and turned his face into Steve. He didn’t have to say it back, Steve never expected Clint to push those words out, which made the moments where Clint had worked up the nerve to do it much sweeter. He kissed Steve’s neck before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

They had a long two months ahead of them.


End file.
